Wireless telephones are devices capable of transmitting and receiving voice and/or data (non-voice) information to and from a network without the use of wires, cables, or other tangible transmission media. So-called cellular telephones are a common example of wireless phones.
Wireless telephones and the networks by which they communicate operate according to various technologies, including analog mobile phone service (AMPS), circuit switching, packet switching, wireless local area network (WLAN) protocols such as IEEE 802.11 compliant networks, wireless wide-area networks (WWAN), short-range RF systems such as Bluetooth, code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), spread-spectrum, global system for mobile communications (GSM), high-speed circuit-switched data (HCSD), general packet radio system (GPRS), enhanced data GSM environment (EDGE), and universal mobile telecommunications service (UMTS). Of course, these are only examples, and other technologies may be employed in wireless communication as well.
Herein, the term ‘wireless device’ is meant to include wireless telephones (including cellular, mobile, and satellite telephones), and also to include a variety of other wireless devices, including wireless web-access telephones, automobile, laptop, and desktop computers that communicate wirelessly, and wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs). In general, the term ‘wireless device’ refers to any device with wireless communication capabilities.
Many companies produce wireless telephones and other wireless devices. Among the more well-known producers are Nokia®, Ericsson®, Motorola®, Panasonic®, Palm® Computer, and Handspring®. A variety of producers also provide wireless devices comprising versions of the Microsoft® Windows® operating software.
A mobile device, also called mobile equipment, is a portable communication device that typically, but not necessarily, is also a wireless device. Laptop computers are examples of mobile devices.
GSM technology provides separate identities for devices that access GSM networks, and the users of those devices. Thus, a device that accesses a GSM network may comprise a device identifier, to distinguish the device from others that access the network. Each person that uses the device may be assigned a subscriber identifier. Thus, a single subscriber may, at different times, access the GSM network from multiple devices, and a single device may be employed to access the network by multiple subscribers.
An equipment identify registry (EIR) is a network element responsible for collecting and managing device identifiers. The collection of device identifiers comprised by an EIR may be applied for fraud control, customer service, and other uses. Some networks employing technology other than GSM do not provide for separate equipment and subscriber identity, and thus do not employ an EIR. TDMA networks are an example of networks that do not provide for separate device and subscriber identity. Providing for EIR-type functionality in such networks may involve cost-prohibitive replacement and/or upgrades of switching and other network elements.
There is a need for cost-effective equipment identity management in networks that do not comprise an EIR.